Pro Football Hall of Fame DE Willie Davis Dies at Age 85

Former Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers defensive end Willie Davis died, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Wednesday. 

Hall of Fame president and CEO David Baker issued a statement on Davis' death:

"It is with great sadness the entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Willie Davis. Willie's extraordinary athleticism was an undeniable factor in Green Bay's winning tradition of the 1960s under Coach Lombardi. He helped the Packers through an unprecedented championship run and to two Super Bowl victories. Willie was a man of true character on and off the field. The Hall of Fame will forever keep his legacy alive to serve as inspiration to future generations."

A five-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, the 85-year-old was enshrined in Canton, Ohio, in 1981.

Davis was a member of the Packers teams that won five NFL championships including each of the first two Super Bowls in 1966 and 1967.

The sack didn't become an official NFL stat until 1982, so it's impossible to convey his impact simply by looking at the numbers. John Turney of the Pro Football Researchers Association estimated he retired with between 99 and 140 sacks, per Packers team historian Cliff Christl.

Bruce Smith (200 sacks) owns the all-time mark. Had Davis finished at the top end of his estimate, he'd sit seventh on the career sacks list behind Michael Strahan.

Davis didn't make the NFL's all-time team selected for the league's 100th anniversary, but he was one of 17 finalists at defensive end. The Hall of Fame's selection committee honored him as a member of the NFL's All-Decade team for the 1960s.